Owls Stop Late-Charging Bears, 13-11

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Cassidy Connolly drove to the goal and scored with 30 seconds left to finally put the game out of reach, as Westfield State held on for a 13-11 win in a hard-fought MASCAC women's lacrosse game in the pouring rain at Swenson Field on Thursday evening.

After an Owls' time out in their offensive end, Connolly controlled the ball on the restart and beat a double-team, spinning out of the trap and firing a shot from the left side to finally give the Owls some breathing room.

Senior Haley Mate' won the ensuing draw and Westfield State (5-1, 3-1 MASCAC) ran out the clock for their fifth straight win.

Westfield scored the final three goals of the first half to take a 6-4 lead at the half.  Westfield extended the lead to three goals, at 7-4 with Nicole Rinkus scoring the first goal of the second period, but the Owls were unable to get separation from the Bears.

The Bears trimmed the lead to 8-7 with 13:54 left in the game on free position goal from Katie O'Brien, then tied the game 8-8 as Savannah Herrington drove to the cage and dumped a low shot  past Owls' goalkeeper Kara Banagan with 12:57 left.

Westfield answered with three straight goals, grabbing a 9-8 lead when Natalie DeMaio ripped a high shot from the left side with 10:46 left.  Sam Donohoe gave the Owls a 10-8 lead with 10:11 left to play, scoring with a high shot after a free position on the 12-meter arc, and then Rinkus tallied off a feed from Megan Bailey in transition off of a quick clear for an 11-8 advantage.

Bridgewater, wasn't done, rallying to cut the lead to 12-11 on free position goal from Emily Hiller with 6:30 left in regulation.

Banagan came up with two clutch saves late, first stonewalling Herrington on point-blank shot with 4:14 left, then stopping another with 1:42 left and the shot clock winding down on the Bears, which set up the final goal after the Owls' Victoria Paine carried the ball through the midfield for the clear.

Kara Banagan finished with 14 saves on the day.   Donohoe led the Owls with three goals, while DeMaio, Rinkus, Mate and Cassidy Harvey each added two.

Oliva Kerrigan made seven saves in goal for Bridgewater (2-4, 1-3). Herrington led the Bears with five goals, with O'Brien adding three.

The Owls and Bears will meet again on Alumni Field in Westfield on Saturday night in a designated non-conference game.